The Second Face of Janus

As the Roman God looks into the future, here are some predictions for 2006 in no particular order:

The economy will continue to rebound, and there will be another act of terrorism on US soil. Between the two factors, the 2006 elections will see the GOP keep control of the House and Senate, but with only modest gains, forcing the Bush administrationto more compromise to complete their agenda.

The Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School District will begin its formal split, but the negotiations will go well into 2007. The regional formula allocation will be upheld in the interim by the Department of Education.

Samuel Alito will be confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice after a brutal filibuster, but Frist will not have to exercise the ‘nuclear option’. Justice John Paul Stevens will die this year, giving Bush his third choice for the Court. Roe vs. Wade will not be overturned in the cases pending now before the Court.

At least one town will vote to leave the Cape Cod Commission, and at least one other Cape town will vote to adopt a split tax rate in response to the new senior tax credits.

There will be further changes at the Mass. Maritime Academy, and more trustees will resign and others will not be reappointed.

Donald Trump will be elected Governor of New York State, and will revitalize the GOP there. Bill Weld will go on even more deer hunting trips, and will write a new mystery novel. Hillary Clinton will also be reelected in a landslide victory.

Cape Cod will be hit by a Category 2 hurricane.

The first case of avian flu will be diagnosed in the US, causing panic as Tamiflu vaccine will be difficult to obtain. There will be rationing, and criticism of the criteria used.

Sen. Ted Kennedy will make more seditious remarks, for which he will be praised by the liberal press.

The Cape Wind project will receive approval from the Federal authorities, but suit will be filed in Federal Court to block permitting of the project, which will run into 2007.

Christy Mihos will choose not to run as an Independent, and will cede the primary to Kerry Healey, who will face intense pressure to name him as her choice for Lt. Governor. Instead, he will run for State Auditor and will win. Duval Patrick will run an aggressive campaign, but will lose the primary to the better funded and organized Tom Reilly. Allegations that surface about Reilly’s work with the CIA in 1965 regarding Viet Nam and the coup in Indonesia will further damage him with progressive Democrats, and Kerry Healy will be elected Governor of Massachusetts.

Rep. Tom DeLay will be convicted of only one minor charge pending against him, requiring only a fine, but that will force him to leave any leadership position. He will be reelected despite the conviction, and his resignation would be moot. Hastert will continue as Speaker, and Blunt as Majority Leader.

On Cape Cod, all Legislative incumbents will be reelected, although Atsalis will face a narrow victory, and Turkington a narrower one. Don Howell will be elected to fill Rep. Shirley Gomes seat, triumphing over Sarah Peake, whose vicious primary battle with Ray Gottwald will cost her both money and popularity. Bill Doherty will defeat Tom Bernardo after a difficult campaign.

And now, on to 2006!